Ukrainian PM says Russia created world’s largest minefield in Ukraine

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russia has created the world's largest minefield in his country. 

Source: Shmyhal in an interview with South Korean news agency Yonhap

Details: According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine now has a 250,000 square kilometre minefield as a result of Russia’s aggression. 

"It's currently the largest minefield in the world. It's not only making it difficult for people to travel, but also causing major disruptions in farming, which is one of our main industries", he said. 

The agency notes that 250,000 square kilometres is larger than not only the entire Korean Peninsula (around 221,000 square kilometres), but also Laos, Romania (each around 238,000 square kilometres) and Britain (around 244,000 square kilometres).

Commenting on concerns that the war is being prolonged, Shmyhal emphasised the need to continue sanctions on Russia and provide assistance to Ukraine.

"We're doing everything we can to quickly end the war. To this end, the international community must strictly maintain sanctions on Russia and strengthen them", said the Prime Minister. 

"We don't know when the war will end, but it's certain that we will reclaim all of our land," Shmyhal said.

He did not disclose the areas Ukraine plans to reclaim or its detailed strategy, but he made clear it will not rush operations at the cost of human casualties.

"Unlike Russia, our priority is determining strategies to protect people," he said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that "since the start of the war, we have reclaimed 54 per cent of the territory taken by Russia, and we will continue to be able to recover the occupied land this winter or at some other time."

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